Releasable arrangement for retaining outboard motor in elevated position



3,371,893 ARD March 5, 1968 c. E. BLANCHARD, JR

RELEASABLE ARRANGEMENT FOR RETAINING OUTBO MOTOR IN ELEVATED POSITON 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 8, 1966 Mtrarwew March 1968 c. E. BLANCHARD,JR 3, RELEASABLE ARRANGEMENT FOR RETAINING OUTBOARD MOTOR IN ELEVATEDFQSITQN Filed April 8, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jimmy;

United States Patent O RELEASABLE ARRANGEMENT FOR RETAINING OUTBOARDMOTOR IN ELEVATED POSITION Clarence E. Blanchard, Jr., Kenosha, Wis.,assignor to Outboard Marine Corporation, Waukegan, III., a corporationof Delaware Filed Apr. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 541,158 9 Claims. (Cl. 248-4)ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Disclosed herein is means including a supportarm mounted on a swivel bracket for pivotal movement relative theretoand engaged in a guideway in a transom bracket for automatically andreleasably retaining the swivel bracket in an elevated position inresponse to swivel bracket pivotal movement.

This invention relates to marine propulsion devices and, moreparticularly, to marine propulsion devices having tiltable lower units.Still more particularly, the invention relates to marine propulsionunits having lower units which are dirigibly carried on a swivel bracketwhich, in turn, is carried for pivotal movement about a horizontal axison a transom bracket adapted for connection to a boat transom.

An object of the invention is to provide, in a marine propulsion devicehaving a lower unit, means operable, in response to tilting or elevatingthe lower unit, to auto matically releasably retain said lower unit in atilted or elevated position.

In accordance with the invention, the means for automatically releasablyretaining the lower unit in an elevated position generally comprises asupporting arm frictionally pivotally connected to the swivel bracketand disposed for cooperation with guideway means on the transom bracket,together with a support block on the transom bracket, whereby upwardtilting movement of the lower unit predisposes or prepositions thesupport arm for engagement with the support block upon initial downwardtilting movement of the lower unit to provide lower unit support in atilted position.

Tilting movement of the swivel bracket through a predetermined arcaffords engagement of the support arm with the guideway means on thetransom bracket, and prepositioning of the support arm for engagementwith the support block in response to release of the lower unit forreturn tilting movement. Upon such movement, the lower unit movesdownwardly so as to engage the support block to provide releasableretention or support of the lower unit in a tilted position. Release ofthe lower unit from the supported tilted position is effected byupwardly tilting the lower unit, whereupon the support arm is liftedfrom the support block and again engages the guideway means to positionthe support arm for travel affording return of the lower unit to itsnormal operating position.

Other objects, advantages and features will become apparent from thefollowing description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a marine propulsion deviceincorporating various of the features of the invention; FIGURE 1 shows,in dotted lines, various tilted positions of the marine propulsiondevice;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a transom and swivel bracketarrangement embodied in the marine propulsion device shown in FIGURE 1and incorporating various of the features of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, cross sectional view of a portion of thetransom and swivel bracket arrangement shown in FIGURE 2;

" 3,371,893 Ce Patented Mar. 5, 1968 FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of acomponent of the transom and swivel bracket arrangement shown in FIG-URE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a partially sectioned side elevational view illustrating theposition of the support arm when the marine propulsion device is in thenormal operating position;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 and showing, in broken outline,the path of movement. of the support arm from the position shown in*FIGURE 5 to a position, shown in solid outline, wherein the marinepropulsion device is in a first tilted position;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 and showing, in broken outline,the path of movement of the support arm from the position shown inFIGURE 6 to a position, shown in solid outline, wherein the support armis prepositioned for subsequently supporting the marine propulsiondevice in a second tilted position;

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 and showing, in broken outline,the path of movement of the support arm from the position shown inFIGURE 7 to a position, shown in solid outline, wherein the marinepropulsion device is in the second tilted position; and

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 showing, in broken outline, thepath of movement of the support arm from the second tilted positionshown in FIGURE 8 to the position shown in FIGURE 5 wherein the marinepropulsion device is in its normal operating position.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGURE 1, themarine propulsion device of the invention is broadly identified by thenumeral 11] and generally comprises a power head 12 carried on a lowerunit 1 4. The power head 12 includes an internal combustion engine 16operatively connected to a drive shaft 17 which extends through thelower unit 14 and which drivingly connects the engine 16 to atransmission 18 supported in a gear case 20 in the lower unit 14. Thetransmission 18 operatively connects a propeller shaft 22, includingthereon a propeller 24, to the drive shaft 17 The marine propulsiondevice 10 is carried on a boat 26 by means of a transom bracket 28having clamping means 30 which affords mounting of the marine propulsiondevice 10 to the transom 32 of the boat 26.

The marine propulsion device 10 also includes a swivel bracket 40 whichdirigibly carries the lower unit 14 including the power head 12. Theswivel bracket. 40 is mounted on the transom bracket 28 for pivotal ortilting movement about a horizontal axis 42 by suitable pivot means 44.The lower unit 14 of marine propulsion device 10 can be tilted by movingthe swivel bracket 40 pivotally upwardly about horizontal axis 42.

Means are provided for automatically releasably retaining the swivelbracket 40 and lower unit 14!, as well as the power head 12, in anelevated or tilted position in response to tilting movement of the lowerunit 14. In the illustrated embodiment shown in FIGURE 1, the marinepropulsion device 10 is shown, in broken outline, in first and secondelevated or tilted positions.

In the preferred embodient of the invention, said automatic meanscomprises a support member or arm 50 pivotally connected to the swivelbracket 40 by means affording restrained or frictional pivotal movementof the support arm 50, together with a guideway means on said transombracket for engaging and pivotally moving the support arm 50 to apredetermined position in response to tilting movement of the swivelbracket 40. Said automatic means further comprises support means in theform of one or more blocks or abutments on the transom bracket 28 forreceiving the support arm 50 from said predetermined positions inresponse to downward tilting movement of the swivel bracket 40 toselectively provide releasable retention or support of the swivelbracket and lower unit 14 in one or more tilted positions. Said pivotmeans comprises an inturned end 52 on the support arm 50, which end 52is received in a bore 53 of the swivel bracket 40, and means forresisting pivotal movement of said support member 50, whereby to affordholding of the support member 50 in any pre-disposed position.

Referring to FIGURE 3, said means for resisting pivotal movementcomprises spring means in the form of a spring washer 54 carried on theinturned end 52 of support member 50 and disposed between an inner land51 on the swivel bracket 40 and a flat washer 56 also carried on end 52of support member 58. The spring washer 54 and fiat washer 56 areretained on the support member 50 by a cotter pin 57. The spring washer54 biases the support arm 50 against the outside or exterior surface 58of the transom bracket 28 whereby the friction force between the surface58 and arm 50 tends to hold the arm 50 in any pre-disposed position.Also, to provide further support and stability of the supporting arm 50,the inturned end 52 has a portion 59 of reduced diameter which isreceived in a bore 60 located in a portion Of the swivel bracket 40spaced from the first bore 53.

The support arm 50 also includes an opposite or follower end 62 whichextends in a direction opposite from that of inturned end 52 and engagesthe guideway means to afford predisposition of the support member 50 in'various predetermined positions in response to tilting movement of theswivel bracket 40. More specifically, the follower end 62 is engageablewith the support means to provide support of the lower unit .14 is atilted position after disposition thereof to a predetermined positionand after a limited amount of downward movement of the swivel bracket40.

Said guideway means generally includes interconnected cam surfacesforming a continuous or closed loop on the inner side of a leg 61 of thetransom bracket 28.

More particularly, the guide means includes first, second, third, andreturn cam surfaces 68, 69, 78, and 71 on the inner side of the leg 61of the transom bracket 28, the inner side of leg 61 being defined as theside adjacent the swivel bracket 40. The cam surfaces 68, 69, 70, and 71are disposed generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the swivelbracket 40 relative to the transom bracket 28.

Said support means includes first and second support lugs or blocks 72and 74 located on said transom bracket 28 within said closed loop formedby the cam surfaces 68, 69, 70, and 71. The joinder of first and secondcam surfaces 68 and 69 forms an apex portion 76, and the joinder ofsecond and third cam surfaces 69 and 70 forms a stop 78, and the joinderof the first and returned cam surfaces 68 and 71 forms a pocket 82 inwhich the fol lower end 62 of the support member 50 is located (as shownin FIGURES) when the lower unit 14 is in a nontilted, normal operatingposition, as shown in solid lines in FIGURE 1.

Referring now to FIGURE 5, upon upward tilting movement of the lowerunit 14 from the non-tilt position (as shown in solid lines in FIGURE1), the follower end 62 of the support member 50 (the follower end 62 isshown in cross section in FIGURES -9) follows a path indicated by thearrow in FIGURE 5, and first engages a generally flat, inclined, portion80 of the first cam surface 68 to thereby pivotally move support memberor arm 56 in a generally counterclockwise or opposite direction relativeto the pivotal movement of swivel bracket 40 which is pivoted in aclockwise direction.

Further upward tilting movement of the swivel bracket 40 affordsengagement of the support member 50 with a curved portion 81 of thefirst cam surface 68 which generally curves inwardly and affords furthercounterclockwise pivotal movement of the support member 58 relative tothe swivel bracket 40. The support arm 58 moves in a path along thefirst cam surface 68 as shown by the broken outlines in FIGURE 6. Uponengagement of the support arm end 62 with the apex portion 76, thesupport member 60 is prepositioned or predisposed in a first positionfor engagement with the first support lug 72, whereby downward orcounterclockwise tilting movement of the swivel bracket 40 affordsengagement of the support member 50 with the first support lug 72 tothereby provide releasable support or retention of the lower unit 14 ina first tilted position. Such counterclockwise or downward pivotalmovement of the lower unit 14 may be effected by gravity as by releasingthe lower unit 14 when the support member 50 has reached the apexportion 76 to thereby allow the lower unit 14 to rotate downwardly or ina counterclockwise direction.

The first support lug 72 includes a cupped or contoured surface 84 whichsnugly receives the follower end 62 of the support member 58 to therebyprevent lateral movement of the support member 58 from the first supporting 72. The first support lug 72 further includes tapered, curvedsurfaces 86 and 87 to ensure that the support member end 62 will nothang up on the first support lug 72. Also, the surface 86 in conjunctionwith a portion of first cam surface 64 forms a guideway leading to apexportion 76 to ensure engagement of the follower end 62 with apex portion76.

To remove the lower unit 14 from the first tilted position, the lowerunit 14 is tilted upwardly whereupon the support member end 62 is liftedfrom the first support lug 72, passes the apex portion 76, and engagesthe second cam surface 69 as shown by dotted outlines in FIGURE 7. Uponfurther upward tilting movement of the lower unit 14, the support member50 generally moves along the second cam surface 69 past curved portion98 until the support member end 62 engages the stop 78, whereuponfurther upward tilting movement of the lower unit 14 is prevented.

Engagement of the support member end 62 with the stop 78 prepositions orpredisposes the support member 50 in a second position for engagementthereafter with the second support lug 74 in response to downwardtilting movement of the lower unit 14. Upon release of the lower unit 14after engagement with the stop 78, gravity can move the lower unit 14 ina downward counterclockwise direction or the lower unit can be forciblyso moved whereupon the support arm end 62 engages a slanted portion 101of a surface 102 on the second support lug 76 to thereby guide thesupport arm end 62 into engagement with a cupped portion 103 of thesurface 162, wherein the lower unit is in a second tilted position. Thecupped portion 103 prevents the support member end 62 from slipping offthe second support lug 74. The support lug 74 also has tapered surfaces105 and 107 which prevent the follower end 62 from hanging up on thesecond support lug 74. The surface in conjunction with a portion of thesecond cam surface 69 forms a guideway assisting in guiding the followerend 62 along the cam surface 69.

As can be noted in FIGURE 8, when the follower end 62 engages thesurface portion 101 of the second support lug 74, the support member 58is pivotally moved in a counterclockwise direction so that when thelower unit 14 is thereafter tilted upwardly from the second tiltedposition, the support member end 62 will have been sufficientlydisplaced to avoid engaging the stop 78 and will instead engage thethird cam surface 70.

Further upward tilting movement affords engagement of the support memberend 62 with the corner 104 of the third cam surface 71, thereby limitingfurther upward tilting movement. At this point, the follower end 62 ispositioned for return along return cam surface 71 so that release of thelower unit 14 allows the lower unit 14 to move downwardly under gravity,or it can be forcibly moved downwardly, whereby the support member end62 moves along the return cam surface 71 and assumes a position in thesocket 82, as shown in FIGURE 9, when the lower unit 14 is in the normaloperating position. The path of movement of follower end 62 when thelower unit 14 is moved from the second tilt position to the non-tiltposition is shown by the broken outlines in FIGURE 9.

Various of the features of the present invention are set forth in thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a marine propulsion device, the combination of a transom bracket,a swivel bracket, means pivotally connecting said swivel bracket to saidtransom bracket for pivotal movement of said swivel bracket about agenerally horizontal axis to an elevated position, and means forautomatically releasably retaining said swivel bracket in said elevatedposition comprising a support arm, means pivotally connecting saidsupport arm to said swivel bracket for frictionally restrained pivotalmovement of said support arm relative to said swivel bracket, guidewaymeans on said transom bracket cooperating with said support arm toeffect pivotal movement of said support arm relative to said swivelbracket in response to upward pivotal movement of said swivel bracket,and a support block on said transom bracket for receiving said supportarm in response to downward pivotal movement of said swivel bracketrelative to said transom bracket.

2. A combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means pivotallyconnecting said support arm to said swivel bracket comprises an inturnedend on said support arm, a bore on said swivel bracket receiving saidinturned end, and spring means biasing said support arm against asurface of said swivel bracket.

3. A marine propulsion device in accordance with claim 1 wherein saidsupport arm includes a follower end, and said guideway means comprises acam surface disposed to be engaged by said follower end of said supportarm in response to upward pivoting movement of said swivel bracket so asto afford movement of said support arm to a position wherein saidfollower end is engageable with said support block upon downward pivotalmovement of said swivel bracket to thereby establish said swivel bracketin said elevated position.

4. A marine propulsion device in accordance with claim 3 wherein saidguideway means further includes a second cam surface on said transombracket positioned to be engaged by said follower end upon upwardtilting movement of said swivel bracket from said elevated positionfirst mentioned, said guideway means also including a stop at the end ofsaid second cam surface remote from said first mentioned support block,and a second support block located below said stop in position forsupporting engagement of said follower end to thereby define a secondelevated position upon downward pivotal movement of said swivel bracketafter engagement of said follower end with said stop.

5. A marine propulsion device in accordance with claim 4 wherein saidguideway means further includes a third cam surface disposed forengagement by said follower end upon upward tilting movement of saidswivel bracket from said second elevated position, said third camsurfaces including a corner preventing further upward pivotal movementof said swivel bracket upon engagement of said follower end with saidcorner and affording initial guidance of said follower end uponsubsequent downward swivel bracket tilting movement.

6. A marine propulsion device in accordance with claim 5 wherein saidguideway means includes a return cam surface disposed for engagement bysaid follower end of said support arm upon downward pivotal movement ofsaid swivel bracket.

7. A marine propulsion device in accordance with claim 6 wherein saidtransom bracket includes a leg, and said first, second, third, andreturn cam surfaces are formed on the inner side of said leg and aredisposed generally parallel to the axis of tilting movement of saidswivel bracket relative to said transom bracket.

8. A marine propulsion device comprising a lower unit, a transom brackethaving means for affording mounting thereof to the transom of a boat, aswivel bracket dirigibly carrying said lower unit, means pivotallyconnecting said swivel bracket to said transom bracket for tiltingmovement about a generally horizontal axis to afford tilting movement ofsaid lower unit about said axis, means for automatically and selectivelyreleasably retaining said lower unit in first and second tiltedpositions in response to lower unit tilting movement, said retainingmeans comprising a plurality of cam surfaces disposed on said transombracket, a support arm carried on said swivel bracket and having afollower end disposed to engage said cam surfaces, and first and secondsupport blocks disposed on said transom bracket and respectively locatedbelow selected ones of said cam surfaces, whereby upward tiltingmovement of said lower unit and resultant movement of said support armalong said selected cam surfaces successively positions said support armfor supporting engagement by said support blocks upon subsequentdownward tilting movement of said lower unit, thereby providing supportof said lower unit in first and second tilted positions, said first andsecond support blocks also being disposed such that said lower unit isreleasable from said tilted positions by upward tilting movement of saidlower unit from said tilted positions.

9. In a marine propulsion device the combination of a transom bracket, aswivel bracket, means pivotally con necting said swivel bracket to saidtransom bracket for pivotal movement of said swivel bracket about agenerally horizontal axis to an elevated position and means operable inresponse to swivel bracket pivotal movement for automatically andreleasably retaining said swivel bracket in said elevated positioncomprising a support arm, means pivotally connecting said support arm tosaid swivel bracket for pivotal movement of said support arm relative tosaid swivel bracket, guideway means on said transom bracket cooperatingwith said support arm to effect pivotal movement of said support armrelative to said swivel bracket in response to upward pivotal movementof said swivel bracket and a support block on said transom bracket forreceiving said support arm in response to downward pivotal movement ofsaid swivel bracket relative to said transom bracket.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,441,000 5/1948 Armstrong 24842,643,837 6/1953 Rivers 248-4 2,646,238 7/1953 Kircher et al 248--4 JOHNPETO, Primary Examiner.

